WPIF Special Final Round

With a focus on postgraduate widening participation and induction initiatives

Upcoming deadline 12 February 2026, 5pm
Funding Amountup to £50,000 per College
Funding Durationup to 12 months

The Widening Participation & Induction Fund (WPIF) aims to help Colleges reach out to disadvantaged, prospective students and their families. This includes their teachers, parents, and guardians. The funding programme has been extremely well received since launching in 2022 and is coming to an end in 2026.

To date, the WPIF has focused on supporting widening participation projects for undergraduate students. However, for its final round, the WPIF Sub-Committee has taken the decision to shift its focus to support postgraduate widening participation and induction initiatives.

For this special final round, £100,000 will be available. The maximum award any College may apply for will remain at £50,000. Therefore, this application round will be extremely competitive.

This final call places a particular emphasis on innovative postgraduate outreach initiatives that: 

  • Target underrepresented groups in higher education, especially those with limited access to information and guidance about university pathways beyond undergraduate study.
  • Foster sustained engagement with families and educators, recognising their critical role in shaping student aspirations and decisions.
  • Encourage collaboration between Colleges and community organisations, schools, or other educational stakeholders.
  • Demonstrate measurable impact on awareness, confidence, and preparedness for careers in academia.

The Sub-Committee, chaired by a Trustee of the INT, will consider each application received at their meeting in March 2026 and prioritize well-costed, innovative proposals which focus on the above points. 

The Widening Participation & Induction Fund is open to all Cambridge Colleges.

Colleges are invited to apply for funding for specific projects, for up to £50,000 per College.  

Colleges may submit applications:

  • Individually
  • Together with other Colleges
  • Jointly with other institutions, such as University departments or voluntary sector organisations.

Note that grants are awarded and disbursed to Colleges, but this may include costs associated with participation in University-wide programmes. 

Grants cover activities to be done within 12 months of funding. If this causes scheduling issues, please consult the INT. 

A panel, chaired by a Trustee of the INT, will decide all funding outcomes for the WPIF.

For more information on the WPIF, please contact the INT Director.

Your application needs to include a WPIF Application Coversheet and Proposal. Both items should be saved as a single PDF document and emailed to the Trust Administrators by the advertised deadline.

The Proposal should be no more than four sides of A4 and include the following:

  • A full description of the project including a timetable
  • Budget with full costs showing which costs you would like the WPIF to cover
  • Information about what your project seeks to change and why you seek to do this
  • How you expect to realize change through the project
  • How you will measure and report on the difference made by the project
  • What difference would indicate a positive change

Use font size 11 or larger for all text in your application. The font must be Calibri, Aptos, or Arial. All A4 margins should be set at a minimum of 1 inch. Please follow the page limits as we will ask you to shorten any applications that are too long.

Please set out the extent to which you have consulted with subject specialists in the relevant Department or Faculty, where appropriate.

The INT strives to be as flexible as possible to ensure the success of your project. Therefore, if your proposed project costs are not covered by this summary, please ask.

Eligible Costs:

  • Partial salary costs – it is expected that the salary for supporting staff matches a suitable pay scale. We understand this may vary between Colleges. Therefore, please explain why the one you chose is best for the project. You can claim for new posts for the project. You can also claim for back-filling of posts where existing postholders are temporarily undertaking new duties for the project.
  • Student travel costs to outreach events held at Colleges. They may or may not be on University Open Days.
  • The creation of lasting resources, such as websites or equipment
  • Direct student contact activities, such as residential events
  • Event and hospitality costs - internal student or outreach rates should be used for participant hospitality. This includes rooms, halls, and meals. Do not use commercial or peak-season rates. It is expected that the host College covers the costs for teaching space. If you think this isn't possible, please justify it in your proposal. Alternatively, contact the INT Director to discuss.

Ineligible Costs:

  • Salary costs for staff whose jobs already include the duties in the application. You cannot claim costs where no new staff costs are involved. 
  • Additional bursaries or scholarships already covered under the Cambridge Bursary Scheme
  • Buying out the time of existing Admissions/Schools' Liaison staff
  • Core University business
  • Teaching for the Foundation Year, which is already fully funded
  • Hiring College rooms